Posted February 02, 2026in Stray Thoughts
January ended with a notable week for federal courts because of the voices of its judges. Judges in Minnesota and Texas spoke with clarity in these troubled times. In between them, a longtime Iowa federal judge’s voice fell silent after a quarter century of delivering justice, along with lessons in
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Posted January 26, 2026in Stray Thoughts
The 2025 college football season is in the history books. The season ended with last week’s national championship victory by Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza and his Indiana University Hoosiers over the University of Miami. The season began back on August 23 in Dublin, Ireland, matching Iowa State University against
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Posted January 13, 2026in Stray Thoughts
Truth should be measured by evidence, not by political allegiance. Can’t we all agree on that? With that in mind, a useful question for citizens and journalists to ask at times like this is simple: “Help me understand …” The phrasing invites the person being questioned to explain his or
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Posted January 05, 2026in Stray Thoughts
It was Christmas Eve. The gifts were laid beneath the Christmas tree at the home of Merlin and Nelda Powers in Urbandale. But the family’s holiday celebration ended abruptly that day in 1968 when the Powerses’ 10-year-old daughter Pamela disappeared from the YMCA in downtown Des Moines while the family
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Posted December 31, 2025in Stray Thoughts
Days removed from the winter solstice, when Iowa’s nights are the longest, we have another example of the absence of sunshine in Iowa government. And this example shows why the Legislature has much to do about openness and accountability when it convenes on January 12. A court decision last week
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Posted December 16, 2025in Stray Thoughts
What makes freedom of speech so difficult to understand and accept? That question came up at Sunday’s discussion at the Des Moines Valley Friends Meeting. The Friends invited me to speak at the gathering that coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Dec. 15, 1975 bombing of the Friends meeting
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Posted December 02, 2025in Stray Thoughts
There seems to be a lack of consistency — if not outright contradictions — in the president’s messaging on drug trafficking into the United States. Recent news headlines bear out the disconnect between what the president says and what he does. One thing is certain: Donald Trump’s mixed messaging is
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Posted November 24, 2025in Stray Thoughts
While the text of the Iowa Constitution lacks the prominence of that adopted by our nation’s Founding Fathers, people from Ackley to Zwingle and points in between should track down a copy and give it a read. Buried away in the document adopted by Iowa voters in 1857, they will
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Posted November 11, 2025in Stray Thoughts
Events last week in Chicago and Washington and at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport provide stark reminders that our nation’s leaders have seemingly forgotten a biblical command around for the ages. It is one Robert Ray followed during his tenure as Iowa governor, which ended some 42 years ago.
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Posted November 04, 2025in Stray Thoughts
As Iowans headed to the polls this week to elect local school board members, they faced an issue beyond the usual ones of taxes, student achievement, teacher pay, curriculum and enrollment. This year, school board and administrators’ performance and trustworthiness were front and center in some school districts. And on
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